Private Bargmann, Private Gosden, Corporal Ritchie & Private Cheney

This post is as much for me as a reference point as it is to share. Previous diary entries have referred to these three soldiers so I decided to paste some info that is online about them here. I may end up coming back to add more if I find more.

Private Anders Bargmann (Bargey) Service No 4997

It seems a Miss J Cameron wanted to know more about the death of Bargey... The army couldn't provide her with much information except "Killed in Action"

Private Thomas Gosden Service No 2656

It seems that Gosey died from wounds a few months after sharing a trench funk hole with Bert. Bert had mentioned that he wondered what had happened to him so I gather he was separated from him after they left the trenches in June 1918.
I found this list of his effects on the AWM digitised records site and had to smile that one of the items was his pipe.

Corporal Thomas Ritchie  Service No 729 More


Private Sidney Cheney Service No 5011

Moving from Chapter 2 to 3, and we're about to meet 'Bargey'

I am now onto Chapter 3! I found it very amusing typing the final pages of chapter 2 as Uncle Bert received more and more socks! But, of course the chapter ends on a very sobering note with his duties as a pall bearer at the funeral for an Anzac and the packing of his bags to leave for "over there".

He's used the term "over there" on another occasion and it reminds me of the way some people refer to cancer as the 'C' word... perhaps if you don't say it out loud it wont be real? or it's a way of distancing ourselves from something unpleasant, like 'war'!

Get ready to meet Bargey in Chapter 3. Well, I'm pretty sure it's Bargey - Uncle Bert refers to a man with the name Bargmann and as Australians are known for turning surnames into nicknames I am betting that Bargmann is the Bargey to whom this book is dedicated. I now know that Uncle Bert believes that Bargey (Bargmann) is of Swedish heritage... But a quick search of the web reveals an A.Bargmann who matches perfectly and is of Danish heritage. Don't click on the link if you don't like spoilers in books because it does reveal the fate of Private Bargmann.

What have I done?

Okay - I have made the commitment to this project and am now wondering at the scale of it!! The 'diary' is about 690 pages!! It is organised into 25 chapters! Tonight I have typed and uploaded the foreword and chapter 1! I'm up to page 5!! (the foreword wasn't included in the page numbering) Each page is double spaced. Some pages are difficult to read as there has been some water damage when the diary was transported between Australia and Hawaii. Also, the diary was typed in 1924... it is in reasonable condition for something that old but the paper is thin and some of the type has bled through to the other side of the paper... However, I am determined to succeed at this! I have noticed that there is the odd news cutting pasted onto pages; as I come to those pages I will scan the cutting to include here as well. I last read this work many years ago (approx late 1980's) when I was studying a uni history subject called 'Australians at War'. Already I am intrigued by this book all over again. I want to know who 'Bargey' is and if he has family or descendants... Perhaps they would like to know about their great, great grand father, or uncle or cousin who fought in World War 1 and made the ultimate sacrifice. I now think there might be others who might be interested in a copy of this book. It makes me more determined to do it!!
Michelle x